Monthly Archives: October 2011

How many times have you sat in a meeting, wondering if you should mention a potential problem with a plan or a more efficient method—but didn’t? How many times have you requested input or ideas from your team or department, only to be met with averted eyes and resounding silence? How many times have you gone along with the crowd because you didn’t want to seem different? You just engaged in or encountered ‘groupthink.’

The term ‘groupthink’ was coined in 1972 by Irving Janis, and everyone has engaged in, been affected by or has seen ‘groupthink’ in action. It identifies the mass or pack mentality through which individuals, often with dissenting opinion or contradictory knowledge, hold their dissension to themselves out of fear—fear of bucking trend, being labeled a non-team-player or being tagged as an anarchist or simply “different.” In a nutshell, engaging in groupthink is equivalent to ‘going along to get along.’ Sometimes, however, shunning ‘groupthink’ is the wiser and more responsible action to take.

Groupthink does not mean the collaborative effort involved in a group of individuals thinking about the same thing. There is real benefit from individuals gathering to pick each other’s brains for ideas. Groupthink is based on our need to belong, to bond and be a member of a pack. People who groupthink aren’t necessarily lemmings either, following without thought and whose instincts are only to follow the pack. A ‘groupthinker’ is someone who doesn’t offer independent view, who goes along with the crowd despite contrary feelings or impulses. Their need to belong is greater than the need to dissent, and that isn’t always a good thing.

One of the best but least-known examples of groupthink revolves around the space shuttle, Challenger, on January 28, 1986. The short-lived flight was historic in several ways: It was the first space flight to include members who were not trained astronauts; it included the first women in space; it was the shortest manned flight in aerospace history, and it killed every member on board.

Engineers knew of design flaws but said nothing until well after the explosion. That groupthink attitude cost people their lives, and those engineers ‘went along with the crowd’ when they should have made their concerns over the design flaw known.

Children drinking, smoking, ‘doing drugs’ and having sex because all their friends are can be examples of groupthink in action. Kids often do know better, but they don’t want to be “different” from their peers, so they engage in activity they know is wrong, simply to bond with others—to be included in a group. These groupthink actions differ from the same actions deliberately taken out of spite, defiance or rebellion.

What differentiates groupthink from other compliance psychologies are the underlying motives and the silent knowledge of wrongness. Silence in groupthink can be capitulation—the lack of a strong sense of independence and giving in to pack instinct dominance.

The other thing groupthink is not is good. It always has a negative aspect, whether it affects goal outcome, reduces self-respect or compromises morals or ethics. You might voice your differing opinion or present contradictory information and still be directed to comply: That’s not groupthink. There is no silence involved. Whether you comply with that directive or engage in the activity depends on the exact situation and morality or ethical guidelines.

Conquer groupthink: Maintain a healthy self-respect; adhere to your higher thought processes, moral and ethical compasses, and never be afraid to speak when it counts.

Article written by Sara Woods, a writer for Coupon Croc, the best resource for discount codes to save on all of your online purchases.

Homework, Facebook, homework, Twitter, homework, YouTube, YouTube, Facebook, homework, Twitter. Sound like your typical study session? We all get distracted very easily while we work on school assignments, especially with the Internet being so easily accessed in this day and age. I think in order to be better students, you need to work on limiting your distractions. If not, you will find yourself wasting a lot of time!

Distractions:

5. Music

Whether it’s downloading it, listening to it, or even dancing around to it music is a big distraction. While you’re doing your homework, I suggest turning it off, or find some music that isn’t super distracting like Mozart or Beethoven.

4.YouTube

Probably one of the greatest websites of all time. Sitting around watching videos all afternoon, when you should be working on a huge group project, is really unnecessary and could result in a bad grade as a result of being woefully underprepared.

3. Twitter

Tweet Tweet! Twitter is a lot of fun to see what your friends are up to, or what your favorite celebrities have to say for the day. It is a great website to find out news and important information. However, when you have a ten page paper due, you should probably steer clear of Twitter for awhile.

2. Texting

Having your phone attached to your hip is unhealthy. Try to go a whole day without texting. Too hard? Well, at least leave it at home when you go to the library to work on your nightly homework. If not, you will want to go hang out with your friends and skip out on the school work for the night.

1. Facebook

And now for the number one distractor in the whole wide world! (Well, at least for college students in America, anyway.) Facebook will tell you what your friends are doing along with pictures of their activities. Do you think you will be able to sit through an online quiz with this popping up every few minutes?

A man wrote an article online about how he just recently dumped his iPhone. On Black Friday, rather than lining up to go get the brand new version, he gave it up and traded it in for a small flip phone with no internet or cool apps. Sam Graham-Felson’s article appeared in Good Magazine. He says he could spend three hours on his phone without even noticing where the time went. It was impossible for him to go through dinner without reaching for his iPhone. As Felson was reading Henry David Thoreau‘s Walden, he came across the line, “Men have become tools of their tools.”

Felson realized that he became so distracted by his phone that he had become addicted to it. He decided to break his habit and that is when he traded in his phone. Felson did something that may of us can’t. I know that none of you will probably want to delete your Facebook or get rid of your phone, but I challenge you to limit your distractions. Have your roommate change your passwords for a week so you can focus on your midterms or finals. Also, you can set goals to only get on Facebook or on your phone for a limited amount of minutes per day! You can do it. If you do, you will find that your study habits improve significantly.

About the Author

Meagan Hollman crafts written pieces MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers gets those who have a business inkling to start searching for the best online masters degree programs. Once they have found them, they are able to acheive their goals like they always wanted.

Have you ever wondered what is in a “chicken tender?” There is nothing in the name or any other documentation to suggest anything other than it contains parts from a chicken, and that it is tender. Is there anywhere it says that there is a speck of un-ground breast or that it doesn’t contain every part of the chicken ground up and covered with bread because we are all too dumb to tell the difference? Pour on the ketchup, or whatever is really in the red bottle, and were all fine.

I don’t mean to sound cynical, but alas that is my fate. I hear words on the news that after the Greeks were supposedly bailed out financially by (essentially Germany) that they were concerned that they might be losing some of their sovereignty. Well, gosh. That is amazing. To think that someone who has to pay for your financial mistakes might actually have something to say about your actions in the future seems fairly reasonable to me. When I have to bail out a friend and pay their rent, I think it might occur to me to suggest that they don’t indulge in fine dining for a week or two and that seems to be a violation of ones sovereignty. The deal is apparently far from done anyhow. Germany’s highest court ruled that the Bundestag must be given a greater say in euro bailout decisions given the degree to which the common currency rescue could impose on parliament’s right to create Germany’s budget. In response, the Bundestag on Wednesday moved to include provisions for parliamentary co-determination of positions taken by Germany on the euro bailout at European Union summits in Brussels. Under the multilevel process, depending on the importance, the urgency and confidentiality, decisions can either be approved by the entire 620-member Bundestag, by the 41-person budget committee or by the nine-member special panel. ‘The Bundestag Cannot Be Replaced’.”

The Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journalran an editorial asking Buffet, the namesake of a proposed guideline that would ensure that those who make more than $1 million pay proportional tax rates, to make public his tax returns. “No doubt the millions of Americans who could end up paying more because of this claim would love to see the details,” they wrote, urging the Berkshire Hathaway CEO to consider the disclosure an “opportunity to educate the public” on “his secret of tax avoidance.”

When asked during Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women Summit whether or not he would be willing to do so, Buffett said he would be happy to — so long as News Corp’s most superior might join him.

China holds about $1.2 trillion in U.S. government debt, according to the Treasury Department’s latest figures. That’s about 30 percent higher than the previous estimate.

Then there is Obama health care. What started out as an honest effort has turned into a joke.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds the support for ObamaCare has dipped yet again, with just 34 percent of Americans favoring the president’s signature health care overhaul.

Have you ever wondered about a “Peppery Zinfandel?” What does that mean exactly? What is to stop the winemaker from taking a bunch of very average Zin grapes and dumping a pound of ground pepper in the barrel? Who would know?

Life without metrics and accountability is like that. What we post on the internet is largely without measure or control. Eventually our Karma will be affected by the crap that we put out if we do that, but really, there are no “thought police” out there. We all have to be responsible to our audience, and true to our purpose. There is enough deception out there as it is.

Business Christmas cards have long been something business owners have turned to during the holiday season to help them show appreciation to their customers and business contacts, all while assisting them in drumming up a little more business. Yet before you buy, sign and stamp your next set of Christmas cards, take some time to consider these important thoughts.

Avoid Being Overly Religious

Even if you are a devoutly religious individual, your customer, client or business contact may not be. This is not the time to be overly religious. Choose a generic greeting, or tailor each card to the recipient. Of course, if your business is religious in nature, this consideration may not apply, but for most businesses a generic card works best. You simply cannot predict the religious preference of every recipient.

At first, holiday cards seem to be a very small expense in your overall business budget. Yet, when you incorporate the time necessary to prepare and send the cards, you may need to stop and consider whether or not you are doing everything as cost effectively as possible.

Etiquette states that it is best for you to personally sign each card. This is not that time consuming for a few hundred cards, but if you have thousands of cards to send it may become so. You may be better off investing in a printed greeting that includes your name, or buying an ink stamp made from your signature. Sometimes, sacrificing etiquette is important when you are trying to run your business efficiently.

Similarly, choosing a card specifically for each recipient, such as a Hanukah card for your Jewish contacts and a religious Christmas card for your Christian contacts, shows your attention to detail and the preferences of your customers. However, this takes time. If time is at a premium in your business, you may want to forgo this in favor of a more generic card that works for everyone.

Benefits to Consider

Sometimes, sending out business Christmas cards seems like an overwhelming task. When you start to feel this way, take the time to consider the benefits of doing so.

When customers and clients receive a Christmas card, it puts your business’s name in their minds. Later, when a customer needs the service that you provide, your name is going to be on the forefront of his or her mind, rather than your competitor that did not send cards. Some customers who have been putting off a call to you may even be prompted to do so when they see their card.

Business Christmas cards also show that your company is financially stable and successful. A struggling business is not going to have the money or time to send cards. Even though it is a commitment of time and resources, sending business Christmas card helps paint your business in a positive light, and this is a tremendous benefit.

An interactive whiteboard is electronic display media that is connected to a computer and a projector to enable a group of people to all view the content of a computer screen at the same time. The whiteboard is placed on a wall or a floor-stand and the computers desktop is projected onto the whiteboard via the projector.

The user controls the computer via the whiteboard using a pen, finger or another device. This allows the teacher or person delivering the training course a greater degree of versatility and interaction during the lesson or training session with pupils, students or trainees.

In a lot of schools whiteboards have become so popular they have replaced the traditional blackboard. In the work environment whiteboards are used in training rooms, board rooms, work groups and any other situation where it’s important for information to be delivered to a group of people at the same time.

Interactive whiteboards come in a range of sizes and specifications. Some allow use by a single user only, whilst others can be controlled by multiple users at the same time. Most interactive whiteboards include software such as maths tools, sounds, templates, and gesture touch applications. These tools really help to make learning a lot of fun and allow the teacher or trainer to provide immediate feedback to the pupils or trainees.

They also encourage learners to ask questions and can develop good working relationships with each other.

Some whiteboard manufacturers restrict software compatibility so only their own works on their whiteboards. This is not a bad thing, especially in the case of the major companies in the interactive learning sector, but it is something to take into consideration when during the research stage.

They encourage group participation and discussion which frees concentration from note taking

The teacher/trainer can provide quick and rapid feedback to ensure all learners have a full understanding of the topic

They encourage team-work in group situations

Lessons/tutorials/presentations can be stored and viewed at any time (useful for providing retrospective lessons/tutorials/presentations)

As well as being an educational tool to deliver lessons and information to people in the room where the whiteboard is situated, they can also be used for long distance learning or communication. The in-built tools of some interactive whiteboards allow users to draw circles or arrows on the screen to highlight points of interest. Some of the more advanced whiteboards allow all users to not only see program documents like Word or Excel, but to make changes to the document too.

Stephen Thomas writes for JP UK, a leading supplier of electrical equipment to schools, universities and businesses.

I don’t remember where that quote came from, so I thought I’d look it up. Can’t find it anywhere. It feels good to know that there are some things that one cannot “Google.” What does manifest itself is that after 6 brief years with my wife, we love each other more every day. Why?

An old and dear friend of mine, although she can be somewhat of a brat at times, taught me a cruel and beautiful lesson: quit looking for the right person, and BE the right person. Love for another, although part of the general universe and the omnipresent Agape Love of The Creator, comes from within. I am able to love another in direct proportion to my ability to love myself.

After being dismissed from by my ex-wife after 16 years of marriage because she didn’t “feel like” being married any more, I had the obligatory period of mourning. Aside from the fact that I had been cast out of the house that I had inhabited for some 22 years, it was the loss of my family. My girls were left in the care and nurturing of my ex’s new boyfriend, and the family holidays no longer required my presence. It was a great time of self-pity and morbid reflection, followed by a resolve that it was indeed not all my fault, and that there was a self in there somewhere worth saving.

Figuring out that there was something to offer to the world was half the battle. The next thing that came to mind was that it was imperative that this wonder be shared with a significant “other.” What wiring the Universe, “God” if you will, put in us to make us feel that we need a mate is a great mystery, but for many it is irrefutable. To me, life is at its fullest when being shared. To this end began my summer of love via Match.com. I was determined that my life was not going to be lived alone. It never occurred to me that I was really never alone, and that God, the Universe, and soooooo many wonderful people were all around me, but off I went in search for the “right” person.

Over the course of the summer I met and “dated” probably thirty or forty different ladies. A couple of times I felt the feelings of infatuation that manifest in the ways of youth: dizzy dancing way I feel, weak in the knees, etc. It was the second time that happened that the realization came to me that it was not about the women that I was with, because they were entirely different. Upon reflection, the women that I have really loved and felt that way about throughout my life have had very few similarities. That wonderful dizzy dancing way I feel is just that. It is the dizzy dancing way I feel.

Love for another, although part of the general universe and the omnipresent Agape love of The Creator, comes from within. I am able to love another in direct proportion to my ability to love myself. The past couple of days have been very satisfying for me professionally: I have a couple of clients that are really listening to my advice, and empowering me to be really creative and productive. That is always a great feeling. When my wife comes home at night there is no insecurity or self-pity to get in the way or our enjoyment of each other.

Giving of one’s self is the most satisfying aspect of a relationship. Whether it is knowing your children will finally appreciate you when they “grow up” and not clinging to them when they do, or simply knowing when to say “that’s great dear, you go have fun” in general. My wife is a senior executive in a global corporate travel management enterprise; therefore travel is a major factor in our relationship. She also has many close friends and a huge family, all of which is very healthy and great. I am envious, as both of my parents have long since passes, and my only siblings are half sisters that are a great deal older than I. Mary is gone lots with her friends, and my life has evolved to be more introspective and solitary. There are many great friends and activities in my life, just not as often as she is gone. I still take great pride and joy in seeing her thrive and be able to take advantage of her many outside opportunities. It is never healthy to have all of one’s eggs in one relational basket. That is why it is so common to see one spouse pass away almost immediately after the other.

I have a deathly fear of heights. I get dizzy at the top of a step-ladder. It showed its head a few times in my youth, like at the top of the Eifel Tower, but really didn’t manifest itself totally until I suffered a severe concussion in a snowmobile accident (apparently they are not meant to jump 30 foot double motocross hills). Mary, not keeping my phobia at the top of her mind at all times, got this wonderful opportunity to spend a couple of nights at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco. Thinking that this would be a wonderful and romantic weekend for us in The City, she never thought to enquire as to the vertical parameters of the event. Being aware of my own limitations, I made some queries, and found that the Hotel occupies floors 37 through 48 of a tower that looks down on the Transamerica Pyramid in downtown San Francisco. Needless to say, I had to tell her to have a wonderful time in the five-star accommodations, while my own humble residence for the weekend will be a few blocks (and several hundred feet in elevation) down the street.

The examples could go on and on. We’re going to visit her parents in Vancouver WA for Thanksgiving, and now were going back again at Christmas because all of her brothers and sisters will be there. It happens to be a financial burden that was not expected at this time of year, but the joy in her face made it more than worth it. The list is endless and it couldn’t be any sweeter. I’m quite sure hers is twice as long with me. She wakes up every morning before I do and puts a cloth over my eyes so that her reading lamp doesn’t disturb me. The point is that we made a commitment to love and honor each other, and that is what has made it work.

The more each of us sacrifices and gives, the more we love ourselves. It is a phenomenon that has existed in fable and fact for eons. The more we love ourselves, the more we are able to love others, and I love her more every day.

Continuing from where we left off in part 1 of Dreams: When to Know You’re Stressed, we will discuss four more dream symbols that could indicate your life is more hectic than you may have realized. Often we internalize stress and don’t even recognize its presence. However, it will always find some way of manifesting itself, and often it comes out through our subconscious by way of dreams.

Hell. Whether you believe it exists or not, many people dream of being caught in a flaming pit of fury. This can symbolize being entrapped in a situation that you dislike or possibly that you are having feelings of guilt about something. If you are dreaming of Hell, you can pretty much be assured that you have some unresolved issues in your life that are causing you stress and must be addressed.

Bugs. Unless you’re an Entomologist, most people find bugs disgusting to some level. They are creepy and crawly, get in your food, your bed, and even your body! They are horrible when you think of it that way. If you are dreaming about bugs, it can mean several things. This is one of the few stress-related dream symbols that can get a little hairy (pun intended!). Miller indicated that bug dreams in general suggest that there is a complication in your life that you are struggling with. Taken in a more literal sense of the word, according to modern usage, there could something going on in your life that is “bugging” you. Either of these explanations works as far as your dreams showing you clearly that you have too much stress in your life.

Death. Death is a clear symbol of something ending. Usually you will dream of death when you are fearing that some current aspect of your life is about to change, such as career, relationship status, or children moving away from home. Death dreams don’t necessarily symbolize that the forthcoming change is bad, just that you fear the change.

Cats. I couldn’t resist saving the best for last, mostly because of its shock value. Many dream experts have agreed that cats in a dream are a bad sign and suggest impending misfortune—or at least that you are fearing an impending misfortune. If you are able to get rid of the cat in your dream by killing it or chasing it away, Miller says that you will be able to change the course of events to something more favorable. If the cat is friendly, then you may be setting yourself up to face this difficulty head on.

Dreams are an incredibly interesting subject and we could go on forever discussing their meanings and innuendos. However, there are some symbols that are more clear to read than others. If you are struggling with something in your life, or are refusing to accept the fact that you’re struggling, your dreams can reveal the truth. They show you what is really going on inside your mind, even if you aren’t willing to admit it to yourself. You would be wise to take notice if you are repeatedly having dreams about any of these stress-related symbols.

About the Author Natalie Clive is a professional that works with MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers gives all the necessary tools and information that peole need in order to get back to the right online school. Through the Web site, you can get in touch with as many accredited online colleges as you want, and then you can find a plan that fits your schedule.

A controversial January article from Daily Caller, which was picked up by Fox News, has been quietly scrubbed from both outlets’ websites. By Alex Kasprak – On 27 January 2017, the Daily Caller’s then-video editor Matt Raust penned a short piece (“Here’s A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road”) that featured a compilation […] […]

by JEN MAC RAMOS – Jeurys Familia is one of four players suspended under the new domestic violence policy. (via Arturo Pardavila III) Recently, Pablo Sandoval was designated by the Boston Red Sox for assignment, only to return to his first team, the San Francisco Giants, on a minor league deal. For some Giants fans, myself included, the homecoming […] […]

This is an extremely difficult subject to try and cover in just a few hundred words. There are literally, thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of books, not to mention articles & white papers, on securing an educational institution. And all of them have their good and bad points. Some are out dated and won’t work […]

Published August 07, 2017 Fox News http://video.foxnews.com/static/p/video/app/embed/iframe/vod.html?video_id=3503713494001&_fx=y&_xcf=foxnews&_cparam=notitle NOW PLAYINGKevin Bacon on re-learning ‘Footloose’ moves for Fallon Kyra Sedgwick and husband Kevin Bacon have been married for nearly 30 years, but they’re also distant cousins. The two act […]

by CHANIE KIRSCHNER – You wouldn’t want to ruin the taste of your coffee by keeping it out in the open air, would you? (Photo: tka4ko/Shutterstock) We’ve been on a road trip visiting family the last month, and it’s always interesting for me to see how people store the same items in different ways. Take […]